The Next King? David’s first four sons are Amnon, Kileab, Absalom, and Adonijah (1). Each one has a different mother, making them all half-brothers. Absalom kills Amnon for raping their sister Tamar. Then Absalom dies in a coup attempt. The Bible only mentions Kileab once, so he likely does nothing noteworthy nor notorious. As a […]
Commander for Life In Absalom’s brief coup attempt against his father, he appoints Amasa (1) as commander of his rebel troops. Amasa is the first cousin of Joab, who commands David’s army. During the rebellion, Joab kills Absalom. This occurs despite David’s explicit command to spare his son’s life. Though doing so ends the coup […]
A Disgraced Counselor Ahithophel is King David’s counselor. Yet when Absalom attempts his coup against his father, Ahithophel shows no sign of loyalty to David and aligns himself with Absalom. Ahithophel gives Absalom advice, which we later find out is correct. But Hushai—working under David’s direction to foil Ahithophel—provides a conflicting recommendation, albeit for David’s […]
Hushai is an Arkite. The Bible tells us little about the Arkites, other than that they descend from Noah’s grandson Canaan. This makes Hushai a foreigner in Israel, a non-Jew. Yet he is also loyal to King David, serving as his confidant. When Absalom attempts a coup against David, the king flees for his life. […]
His Lust Leads to His Ruin Amnon (1) is the oldest son of David. As the firstborn, we’d expect him to one day replace his father as king. Yet this is not to be. Though it may have been David’s intent to make Amnon king, the young man’s behavior and the consequences of what he […]
Successful Military Leader with Character Flaws Joab serves as the commander of David’s army. He realizes much success as a military leader, but he has some severe character issues. Here are three stories about Joab. As we learned in the chapter about Abner, after he defects to David’s camp with a plan to bring all […]
When God Wants to Give You a Second Chance Make Sure You’re Ready to Receive It You’re probably not familiar with Ahithophel in the Bible. His life serves as a lesson in how not to respond to disappointment. Though his name does show up a few times during the reign of King David, Ahithophel is […]
Sheba Leads a Rebellion Against David After Absalom’s coup attempt to take over his father’s throne is squelched, a troublemaker tries to lead a rebellion against David. Here’s what happens: When Absalom takes David’s throne, David and his entourage flee the city. Safely away, his army fights against Absalom’s army. When Joab kills Absalom, his […]
Absalom is David’s third son. Absalom’s beautiful sister, Tamar, is raped by their conniving half-brother Amnon. Absalom comforts Tamar and avenges her dishonor by killing Amnon. Though parents aren’t responsible for what their children do, these events suggest David is a hands-off dad who may not have raised his children well or instilled in them […]
Tamar (3) is the daughter of Absalom. She is most beautiful. That’s all we know about her. We can assume Absalom named her after her Aunt Tamar, her father’s sister whom her Uncle Amnon raped. This aunt was taken in by her dad, where she lived in desolation. By sharing her aunt’s name, Absalom’s daughter […]